As an owner operator of a detail business I have tried everything mentioned and more over the years. If you want a wax "Victoria Wax concourse" is imo the best wax money can buy. Victoria Wax also has a collectors wax that has better daily driver durability, link to site Victoria Wax - Wax - Paste. The Concourse I use on hot rods for car shows. Victoria Wax is one of only a hand full of waxes in the world which you can layer with multi coats. Multiple coats gives more of an exotic look and incredible depth to the paint. It is also easy to put on and take off with no white residue at all that will stain trim. Personally I like to use sealants for daily drivers as they provide longer life and durability over a wax. Bottom line is treat your beloved Z regularly with what ever wax or sealant you have to protect the paint.

As far as claying the paint goes, practice on a small area first so you get the hang of it, otherwise you may make a big sticky mess of your paint. It's not rocket science, as they say, just need a little practice. If you drive on the highway a lot then claying twice a year should be enough, other wise once a year is sufficient. If you want to remove swirls and scratches and restore a high gloss back to your paint, let a pro do it. It may cost a couple hundred, give or take, but the results will be worth it. And don't just take it to anyone, find a detailer that others have used and are very satisfied with. High volume shops are usually a bad choice. To properly perform a full exterior detail, which includes wash, clay, a one step machine polish and to seal or wax the car, will take about 5 hrs. If the car needs a multi-step compounding/polishing, add a couple of hours to it. I say this because most high volume shops will only spend a couple of hours on your car and make a mess out of it. They will then slather on a glaze to hide the mess they made so it looks good until it all washes away.

I would also like to add that the dealer paint sealant is about the biggest rip off there is. It is the cheapest sealant out there and only lasts about a month depending on how often you wash your car. I don't care what they tell you, don't buy it. Hundreds of dollars for 50 cents worth of product and a half hour of an inexperienced kid buffing your car, making an awful mess of it, is not a good investment imo.

+1! Claying and detailing, along with waxing is an all day job for me. Bottom line: don't skimp on the $$ or the research of the place you take it to.

One product I've tried and liked for white paint is called Liquid Glass. Easy application and great results. Never tried it on darker colors, but it also works wonders on painted wheels as well....

I would have put Meguiar's Professional Yellow Wax (liquid) #26 at the top of that top 5 carnuba list. It really is heads and shoulders above any carnuba I have EVER used. And I've used a LOT.

When I use a carnuba, this is the only one that ever touches my car.

#26 is a very nice wax with good durability and looks. The Victoria Wax is a completely different wax. Because of the mild and low amount of solvents, which is the carrier that makes wax soft and spreadable, Victoria wax was able to use a higher content of Carnauba wax. they also do not put abrasives in this wax. Just about every wax on the market contains abrasives. This is because people want a one step product that will clean some oxidation and seal the paint in one easy step. If your paint is prepped properly and you want the best wax to finish the job, then use a wax with out the abrasives. This has a two major benefits; one, more Carnauba better depth, gloss and shimmer to the paint. Two, this wax has the ability of multiple coats, this is achievable because of the mild and low amount of solvent, as well as the absents of abrasives, which adds greatly to depth and gloss and gives an exotic look as well. These kinds of waxes are recommended for darker paints because of the depth and reflectiveness of them. I hope this helps.

I just got the BlackFire Wet Diamond Clay, Polish & Shine Kit.

Now I'm just waiting for the dealer's carnauba wax fade out. Anyone have a clue how long that will take. I know some had suggested using dish detergent to remove it but I don't think I want to go that route.

If when it rains and the water just sits on top of the paint, instead of beading off, is that a sign that the carnauba is gone or close it??

If you are using all of the products in you kit, then the dealer wax will be gone. You can also do a dawn dish liquid wash and that will strip off the wax as well. I hope you didn't get rooked into the dealer sealant package.

I have been detailing for many years now first car at 16 that didn't go threw a weekend without seeing fresh wax. Today I have used almost any way you can get from the store and my 2 favorite waxes are mothers pure carnuba wax, and FX Synwax. But I never apply any wax to a new car without claying it first with mothers clay bar.

Before
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After
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Thanks for the tip NXTAZEE. Perhaps I'll do the full wash/clay/polish/shine next time. But that probly won't be till another week or so.

And no, I didn't get suckered into getting the sealant wax or whatever from the dealer.

I'm going to have to chime in and say that I DID get suckered into the stupid "protective" coating from the dealer!! Haha..

I've had the car since Feb. and still haven't gotten it done though. :bowrofl:

I don't think that they sold me on the fact that some kid would be rubbing some Turtle wax on my car but they said that after the "treatment", if anything were to happen to the paint in any way, they would repaint the affected area (or whole car) at no cost to me. Sounded worth it at the time considering I paid extra for the color I got anyway. lol

Now the one thing I NEVER fall for is that lame extended warranty. You know... the one that extends the dealers pockets with your money. :icon17:

If you're going to block out a liscence plate, you have to do it in ALL the pictures.. haha

:rofl2:

You have a corrosion warranty that will cover the paint. If there is any corrosion it will affect the paint and it will be covered. As far as say a bird dropping that was never washed off and has now etched into the paint, you would be held responsible regardless of the paint protection. This is because sealants or wax ( dealership or not ) will not protect your paint from you neglecting to properly maintain it. If how ever I stand corrected and it does cover your negligence and you are the type of person that doesn't take proper car of your vehicle, then maybe it's worth the $$. But this will be a regular occurrence if you neglect to properly maintain your paint, and I would bet dollars to doughnuts they will not keep repainting your car every time you come in with bird and water etching in your paint. I should mention that when I say "you" I mean people in general.

I'm with you on the extended warranty. I told them to stuff the warranty along with the paint protection.

I kid you not.. the finance guy practically cried in the end (after about 30 minutes) when I kept saying "no".. "no".. "nope".. "thanks but no".. etc. etc. etc.

I'm not exaggerating one bit. I actually started getting mad and wondering what the hell he kept stammering on about. It became painfully clear that he was obviously losing out on some sort of compensation for selling me some sort of extended warranty package no matter how much he kept dwindeling the amount to try to suck me in.

Finance guys FTL!

LOL ya it is no big deal :icon17::rofl2:

Thanks for the tip on this one - I've been using the two bucket method and the ICE wax and I've been very happy with the results. If I had nothing but time I would probably go with a Carnuba based wax but for the daily driver the synthetic has been outstanding. I've heard that the Meguiers NTX is very similar.

One of the great things about this wax is how well it works on plastics as well. I've got it on the plastic trim around my windows and mirrors as well as the front lip and mud flaps and it really makes the plastic look nice. Very happy with the ICE....

How informative, educational and downright fabulous! Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge with us. I know for one I'll be studying this and taking notes so I can make an informed decision about the wax I'll apply on my car.

-Clay